Can you just imagine the explosion of growth of your online world since its inception? Even reading all of the facts and figures, it is probably much greater than we can even comprehend.  Millions and millions of people are online every day, searching, communicating, connecting and networking.

Jeff Bullas recently published a post 46 Amazing Social Media Facts in 2013 stating:

1. There are over 10 million Facebook “apps”
2. Twitter’s fastest growing demographic is 55-64 year olds
3. 60% of Twitter users access it from their mobile
4. There are over 343 million active users on Google+
5. The +1 button is served 5 billion times per day
6. 67% of Google+ users are male
7. There are over 3 million LinkedIn company pages
8. More than 16 billion photos have been uploaded to Instagram
9. Food is the top category discussed on Pinterest at 57%
10. There are over 1 billion unique monthly visitors on YouTube

Just mindboggling numbers!!

Keeping all of this in mind, your social media efforts have the potential to reach your infinite target audience almost painlessly.  Almost being the operative word.

Social media does require time, planning, tools and energy. You don’t become an overnight sensation just because you created a few accounts and maintain a website.  Quality lead generation, customer acquisition, partnership development or your other social media goals are all attainable. You need to actively engage with your audience. Know where they hang out. What they want. What drives them.

Know what your customers want most and what your company does best. Focus on where those two meet. Kevin Stirtz

People devour news and content like it is their last meal. If you want to satiate their hunger pangs, then serve them remarkable content, authenticity, real connections and top quality service. The same that you expect from your network and vendors. There are no short cuts to creating long lasting relationships.

“Social Media is about the people! Not about your business. Provide for the people and the people will provide for you.” -Matt Goulart

Define your goals and strategy for your varied social media platforms. You will need to revisit and refine as time goes on, but your initial foundation is a starting point.

Stay current on trends, customer needs and pain points. Interests change and expand every day. Be informed. Give them what they want.

Be able to immediately address and troubleshoot any problems or issues that arise. Word travels fast in social media; don’t simply ignore or delete a negative comment. Step up and resolve it.

Investigate how you can expand your reach. If you are using only one or two platforms, consider where your audience may be spending more of their time. Are they on Pinterest, Instagram, Foursquare or YouTube? There are many options to choose from, however; if you are going to jump in, then you must play in the sandbox. Don’t just build a castle and walk away.

Be social, don’t just do social. Share valuable content and don’t spam. Keep it in the can. While self-promotion is acceptable, if you are doing it all of the time, it becomes obnoxious. Sorry, but yes. Share the content of other industry thought leaders, current topics of interest, news and some of your content.

Respond to comments, posts and RTs. Don’t ignore anyone. You chose to be out there and have a presence so engage. It is not only courteous, but it helps you to develop a rapport toward a long lasting relationship.

Create your community, your network of “real” people. They are invaluable in both personal and professional roles.

Whether you are B2B or B2C, social media is your prime opportunity to meet and greet. Open your arms, welcome your customer, your neighbor, your partner as this playground is here to stay and it will only continue to intensify your growth potential.

If you would like a little more insight, please click on the links below.

The Etiquette of Social Media

Should Your Business Blog

13 Tips to Humanize Your Brand

5 Sources for Social Media Content [list]

Content Marketing | Don’t Make it a Fatal Attraction

Free Social Media Tools | Analyze and Measure

Selling Value | 14 Common Sense Tips

Honest Communication | 30 Tips to Build Trust

Social media isn’t really that much of a mystery even though there are constant changes and updates to many of the perimeters. Simply put, be you. Genuine and authentic. Don’t be pushy and spammy. No one likes me me me. Post consistently. Listen, engage and respond. Yes, this is so basic but why over analyze and critique it down to a crazy science?